KH: RE: What Lies In Darkness
by brawlingwolf
Summary: Deciding Ventus wasn't strong enough, Vanitas chose to use Aqua to forge the χ-Blade. This decision would come to impact everyone around them, from Ventus and Aqua to the future Keyblade wielders on Destiny Islands in the fight for Kingdom Hearts. A revamp of the what-if story What Lies In Darkness with new story elements. VenXAqua, no OCs but some slightly changed character roles.
1. Chapter I

Dust swirled violently through the air as Ventus plummeted through it, unable to move in the ice that Xehanort encased him in. He had never felt such cold, one that seeped deep into his body and mixed with the chill of his fear. He feared for Terra, who stood atop the high plateau he had been dropped from where Xehanort was ready to face him. He feared for Aqua, who last he saw had hit the ground hard enough to cause cracks in the rock beneath her. Her armor had taken most of the blow, but it was more than enough to knock the breath from her and paralyze her body briefly. He feared for Master Eraqus, hoping the man was still out there somewhere despite the destruction of their castle he had witnessed when he had returned there, only to be ambushed by a stranger in a black coat that had put him through the fight of his life before vanishing as mysteriously as he had arrived.

But right now, he feared the ground as he quickly approached it, and his frozen helmet shattered as he glanced off a protruding stone. Shards of it razed his cheek and he squinted his eyes shut, all the while trying to force his unresponsive body to move. His partial heart pounded in his chest, and he felt sick with terror. But as soon as he hit something solid, he heard a grunt along with metal skidding against the ground, and the next thing he knew, he found himself looking up at Aqua's concerned face as she held him protectively in her arms. She was panting softly as she adjusted him to hold him more comfortably.

"Ven, are you okay?" she asked, but he couldn't move his jaw to respond. He let out as confirming of a grunt as he could muster, and she let out a small breath of short-lived relief. But at the sound of a strange rumble, she looked up as a light broke through the thick, dark clouds above them. Ventus gave another frustrated groan that he couldn't turn his head to look at whatever it was worrying her so much, nor could he even ask. Her breath was shaky as she returned her gaze to him, her arms tightening slightly around him.

"How 'bout you leave the popsicle with me so you can go have your little fight with Terra?" Aqua looked up, alarmed, at the new voice, pulling Ventus closer to her, just enough that he could see the voice's owner. He was a slender man with black hair he slicked back, and he wore an eye patch. The other side of his face had long scar not unlike the ones Master Eraqus bore. He wore what appeared to be the same uniform he had seen the guards in Radiant Garden wearing along with a slightly tattered red scarf. He gave them a predatory smirk.

"You can't be too happy about him deep-sixing your Master," he went on, and Aqua's eyes widened while Ventus's face thawed enough for him to grit his teeth and furrow his brow. Deep-six the Master? There was no way. The newcomer chuckled slightly as his eye narrowed.

"Who are you?" Aqua demanded of him.

"You think you two have got some grand role to play," he taunted, ignoring her question. "As if. You're only here so that when I finish you off, Terra will succumb to the darkness." The heat of Ventus's anger must have helped quicken the thawing process of his body, as he found he could move slightly, and he tilted his head up to get a better look at this foe. "So, who wants to go first?" he asked, lifting his hands.

"Shut up!" Ventus snapped, and Aqua's grip on him tightened again for a moment.  
"Oh!" the man held his hands up. "So this kiddo thinks he's a full-fledged Keyblade wielder?" He grinned. "He's got the angry look down."

"Go ahead if you want to waste your time," Aqua said as Ventus glared at him. "Keep trying to drive us apart with your mind games. It'll never work!" She gently laid Ventus down and placed her hand on his arm before standing up, and he grunted softly as he struggled against the ice imprisoning him. "Terra will prove to you he's stronger!" she snapped, and she summoned her Keyblade. Ventus called out to her as she charged at the man, who in turn summoned a pair of arrowguns. The strain of tilting his head against the ice proved to be rather painful, and Ventus huffed as he looked up at the sky. His heart ached as he listened to Aqua's grunts and cries along with the taunts of her opponent while he fired at her. But he knew she could handle herself and trusted her to put him in his place. What worried him was what she must have seen before- a large, heart-shaped moon floating high in the sky, and while he had never seen it, he found a name for it hidden deep in his memories.

 _Kingdom Hearts._

This is what Xehanort was after, for whatever reason. This is why he had tried to turn Ventus to Darkness and forcibly removed it from him when he refused to do so. This is why he needed Ventus to clash with Vanitas in order to forge the χ-Blade. The thought of it made a sharp pain shoot through his head as he dug up memories that preferred to remain buried.

"Little cheater!" He strained to look back to Aqua's battle and found she had cast a barrier around herself, and it reflected the man's shots back at him. He teleported to another spot above the rock, apparently able to stand on nothing, and charged another shot, but when he released it, she cartwheeled out of the way and aimed her Keyblade at him. From it came a blast of fire, and he grunted, losing his balance and falling to the ground. She cried out as she charged him, slashing the teeth of her Keyblade across him, and he jumped back, panting.

"I keep forgetting- don't mess with Keyblade wielders." He pointed at her briefly and shook his head. "But you know what?" She readied her Keyblade again and didn't respond, but stood defensively between him and Ventus. "That just means I made the right choice." She grit her teeth and started toward him again. "Well, he wanted me to buy time, and I'd say he got it." With that, he turned around and ran off, disappearing in the crevices of the rising stone spires around them.

"What?" Aqua came to a halt, her body visibly tense. She turned back to Ventus and said his name with deep concern, and he tilted his head back to her as he continued to try to make his body move. But as he did so, he looked up to find a red and black streak plummeting at his friend.

"Aqua!" he called, and she turned around and looked up, and with a gasp, she leapt back, skidding across the rock. Vanitas's Keyblade struck the ground where she had been standing barely a second before, leaving a crack when he removed it.

"How many times do we have to go through this?!" Aqua demanded as she set her stance, and he did the same.

"Don't worry," he seethed. "This'll be the last time."

"Vanitas!" Ventus snapped, and Vanitas looked over to him.

"I warned you," he chided. "Now watch your precious friend fall!"

"Never!" Aqua raised her Keyblade and a spike of ice appeared from it, but Vanitas disappeared and reappeared just above her, and she whirled around. Her Keyblade collided with his, but she stumbled under the force of his strike. He leapt back and sent a wave of flames at her, one she blocked with a barrier.

Ventus grunted as a stream of Keyblades flew over him, and Vanitas jumped up onto one of them. Aqua fired a burst of magic at him, but barely missed her mark. He directed the Keyblades at her and she rushed back. A few stragglers managed to raze across her, and she grunted quietly as she regained her balance. She focused her magic in her Keyblade and a long, blade-like shaft of light appeared around it, and she leapt into the air and vanished briefly. Every few heartbeats, she reappeared to strike Vanitas a few times before disappearing and appearing again in a different spot. Vanitas, disoriented, dove into the ground itself with only a smoldering shadow giving away his location. He erupted from the ground and knocked Aqua off her feet. But she rolled out of the way before he could stab his Keyblade into her chest, and instead it drove into the rock where she had been a heartbeat before.

She performed a cartwheel to get behind him and struck him with another few casts of magic, upsetting his balance, and before he could do anything else, Ventus watched in shock as she drove the light of her Keyblade directly through the dark entity. He dropped his Keyblade and fell to one knee, then lowered his head as a dark aura appeared around his body. Aqua glared at him, daring him to make another move.

"Well done, Aqua," he said in a low voice as he slowly stood back up. "I knew you'd make a perfect back-up."

"Back-up for _what?_ " she demanded, and she watched with both intrigue and horror, as did Ventus from where he still lay on the ground, as the visor of Vanitas's helmet melted away to reveal his golden eyes, his starkly pale skin, and his spiky black hair.

"Now that my body is about to perish, I'll have to join with another heart," he continued with a sinister smile. Ventus grit his teeth, struggling against the cracking ice around him, and Aqua took a step back in alarm. "The χ-Blade will be forged!" The darkness around him circled around Aqua, and from it, several Floods shot out from within it and pinned her, forcing her to her knees and rendering her Keyblade useless. Several more positioned themselves between their master and Ventus, eyeing him as they twitched.

"The Unversed come from you?!" Aqua managed to say as she fought against her captors, and Vanitas smirked.

"I was once a part of your dear Ventus's heart," he told her. "But he was too weak to contain me, and I was better off without him. My darkness would have and still can swallow his light. He's too weak." He snorted. "So I decided your light would be better instead. But we needed to isolate all of you, push you away from Terra, make you stronger. The Unversed, these monsters born from the negativity of what I feel, were the perfect opponents." From him appeared several other species of Unversed, including the Trinity Armor Ventus, Aqua, and Terra had defeated in Radiant Garden. "I released them in all the worlds I could, spreading darkness and drawing you out, away from your Master." He approached her, a smirk on his face at the anger in her eyes that glared at him. "And better yet, no matter how many times you defeat them, their negativity flows right back into me." At his words, the extra Unversed he had summoned to prove his point returned to their states of darkness and streamed back to him. "None of you ever stood a chance- not you, not that wimp, not Terra. And now, you're the perfect, defiant, driven light I need to forge the χ-Blade!" Aqua's eyes widened as he stepped toward her again, and Ventus watched, horrified, as a bright light engulfed them both.

"Aqua!" he called out, barely able to see her struggling within the light. From around her, a blast of wind sent him flying from the ground, and he cried out in pain as he hit a rock pillar. The impact shattered the remaining ice around his body and he fell to the dirt, shaking, and he looked up in alarm as he heard Aqua scream. As her voice echoed across the deserted landscape, a bright beacon of light shot toward the sky and Kingdom Hearts above.

"Oh, no!" Ventus turned to find a friend he had made in his journeys, a Keyblade apprentice like himself named Mickey. Mickey hurried over to him with his own Keyblade in hand. "Ven, are you all right?" Ventus bit his lip and summoned his Keyblade, then climbed back up onto the plateau where Aqua was. Mickey followed, having a bit more difficulty with the incline.  
"Aqua!" He approached her, finding her standing in the middle of the scarred landscape, her head down. She held a long, intricate blade in her hand, her fingers wrapped around the shared handle of what appeared to be two intersecting Keyblades, from which came the rest of the blade. But Ventus was too concerned for her to worry about it. "Aqua, are you okay?" He approached her and bent over a bit to try to find her gaze, but her eyes were closed.

"Oh!" He turned to Mickey to find a concerned, even angry look on the King's face. He turned back to Aqua just as she lifted her head, smirking at him, and the golden color of her eyes made his skin feel like it had been encased in ice again. In his shock, he couldn't react as the blade she held stabbed toward him, but Mickey knocked it away as he stumbled back. Mickey landed between them and held his hand toward her. "That's not Aqua!"

"Aqua…" Ventus choked out around the lump in his throat. He watched, grief-stricken, as darkness flooded over her body, changing her armor into a garb similar to her own- bell-shaped sleeves, thorned boots, and straps crossing over her chest. But instead of the mark she, Terra, and Ventus all wore, instead they featured the symbol of the Unversed. Her clothes were predominately colored black and red with a long, slightly tattered blue and red cloth belted around her waist.

"Are you really that stupid that you couldn't figure it out yourself?" The sound of that voice shook Ventus to his core. It was both Aqua's and Vanitas's, dripping with darkness and malice. "Her heart has become a part of mine now." Ventus's jaw clenched and he fought back the hot water stinging his eyes. His grip on his Keyblade tightened, and Mickey readied his own.  
"This χ-Blade will open a door- one that leads to all worlds," Vanitas continued from within Aqua's body, lifting the blade in hand toward Kingdom Hearts. "Then, Keyblade-bearing warriors will flock here from each and every one of them to battle for the light within Kingdom Hearts!" Aqua's head tilted toward the sky. "And just like the legend says, the Keyblade War will begin!"  
"Shut up!" Ventus snapped as he took several quick steps toward Aqua and set his stance. "Your fight is with me. Leave Aqua out of this!"

"Too late, Vanitas taunted. "Four years too late. You're weak, Ventus. And now, I can finally do what I've wanted to for so long. I can destroy you and snuff out your heart!"  
"No," Ventus's brow furrowed. "I won't let you hurt Aqua's heart!"

"Well, then you'd better step aside," Vanitas chuckled. "Because the only way you're getting to me is if you go through her." Seeing his dark smirk on Aqua's face made Ventus feel sick. "If you want to destroy me, you'll have to end her too!" Ventus frowned and swallowed.

"Whatever it takes," he said. "I know she'd never want to fall to a freak like you!"  
"Don't worry, Ven," Mickey told him. "We'll get Aqua back. Let's get 'im!" Ventus nodded, and with that, he readied his Keyblade behind him and started forward, all while Vanitas lifted the χ-Blade and prepared to strike.


	2. Chapter II

Aqua opened her eyes and found herself drifting in a place choked with darkness. Her feet touched down on a stained glass pillar, one illustrating her on one side and the invader of her heart known as Vanitas on the other. Her muscles clenched as she spun around to face him and the strange, dangerous blade he had in his hand.

"Our union isn't finished yet," he said with a furrowed brow. "The χ-Blade can't stay broken like this." He pointed the broken χ-Blade at her. "Now, you'll join with me, and we'll complete the χ-Blade!"

"Think again," Aqua snapped as she summoned her Keyblade. "I won't let you just worm your way into my heart and take over. I'll remove you by any means necessary and destroy that blade!"  
"Is that so?" Vanitas smirked. "The χ-Blade is made of your heart and mine. You destroy it, your heart is doomed. It'll be the end of you!" Aqua's grip on her Keyblade tightened.

"No," she shook her head. "My heart is strengthened by my friends. Terra and Ventus are a part of me, just as I'm a part of them. With my friends in my heart, I will not fall to you!"

"Are you finished?" Vanitas snorted. "Fine. I'll show you just how much good your 'friends' do you!" He leapt into the air and swung the broken χ-Blade toward her, unleashing an x-shaped blast of flame at her.

Meanwhile, Ventus felt sweat beading on his forehead as he rolled to the side, dodging a burst of energy from the χ-Blade held in Aqua's hand. He flinched as Mickey came up behind her and swung his Keyblade at her, and she stumbled slightly before turning around and smacking him away.

"Mickey!" he called as the King hit the ground with a huff. Mickey forced himself back up and gave his friend a quick thumbs-up. Ventus's eyes widened and he barely managed to scramble out of the worst of a burst of flame under him, but the edges of it did lick greedily at him and burned him. His heart pounded and adrenaline slammed through his veins. But his mind started to work out a plan, and he felt like time had slowed down around him. He no longer had to fear allowing his light to grow so bright that it only cast darker shadows on Vanitas. Aqua didn't need darkness right now. She needed light. With her own that he hoped was fighting Vanitas within, he could use his own to aid her.

"I'm coming, Aqua," he breathed as he straightened back up.

"You're just wasting your energy," Vanitas taunted him, and his grip on his Keyblade tightened. He rolled back and blocked another cast of dark magic. He took a deep breath, fighting off the recoil and standing his ground. He focused his energy, opening his heart more than he had ever recalled doing before. And with that, he felt his light flood his body and he took off running toward his opponent. Aqua dove into the ground and he frowned, rolling around to dodge around the χ-Blade as it stabbed up hairs away from him. Ventus thrust his Keyblade skyward, and bright and powerful light burst forth around him.

"You little…!" Vanitas grunted and glared at him. Ventus's eyes glared back, bright and defiant as they sparkled with the light reflected in his heart. He rushed forward again, his Keyblade colliding with the χ-Blade, sending a ring of metal clashing on metal echoing across the barren landscape.

"Enough of this!" Vanitas snapped as he faced Aqua in her heart. She could feel his darkness attempting to overtake her, started to feel like a stranger in her own heart. But then, a warmth managed to find its way in, pushing back against Vanitas's darkness. Aqua smiled slightly and used that warmth to brace herself against him. She gathered her magic and aimed her Keyblade, and she vanished and reappeared behind her target, striking him with a powerful cast of ice.

"Hmph," he huffed as he skidded back. "Play time's over." He jumped up and stabbed the χ-Blade into the pillar, shattering the glass and sending them both tumbling. Aqua found herself suspended in nothingness, surrounded by the broken shards and bits sparkling like stars before going out. Darkness wound itself tight around her; Vanitas was holding nothing back now in his attempt to overtake her. She found no other choice but to use this and embrace her own darkness as well as her light in order to fight him. She took her Keyblade and light imbued it, and she rushed at him, clashing with the χ-Blade. But with a grunt of persistence, she pushed him back and knocked him off balance, earning a chance to strike him several times.

"Hyah!" Ventus grunted as he slashed his Keyblade against Aqua. Vanitas huffed and glared at him as he jumped back.

"Worthless loser," he said in a low voice. "I'm finished with you!" He raised the χ-Blade over her shoulder and swung it forth, creating a powerful gust of wind that sent both Ventus and Mickey tumbling. Ventus let out an agonizing groan, the breath knocked from his body as he slammed into a rock pillar. Mickey, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen.

Ventus slid down, dazed and trying not to black out as pain wracked his body, his Keyblade barely held in his limp hand. He panted as he tried to collect himself.

"What's wrong?" he was barely aware of Vanitas's taunt. "Giving up already?" Ventus raised his head to look up at his friend and the dark creature that possessed her. He reached down and took in hand the Wayfinder that Aqua had given him before he set out on his journey.

"Aqua," he breathed. "Terra, please…" His fingers closed around the charm. "Lend me your strength. Help me put an end to this." He took the Wayfinder and brought it close to his chest. "You're my best friends. Let me protect you." He looked at it and blinked as it glowed briefly, and his eyes widened as a light enveloped his Keyblade. Along with it, newfound strength spread through his body with a familiar warmth he hadn't felt since before the Mark of Mastery exam. He jumped to his feet and hurried back up the incline.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Vanitas inquired as he readied the χ-Blade in Aqua's hand. Ventus ignored him and flipped his Keyblade into a normal grip, and he cried out as he struck for the χ-Blade and struggled to hold his ground as Vanitas pushed against him.

Aqua could see traces of concern starting to appear on her opponent's face. But at the same time, she could feel the impact of the battle on her body, and her muscles were exhausted and in near agony. She summoned the last of her energy and rushed for him, and she struck him time and time again until the χ-Blade was knocked from his grasp.

Ventus, meanwhile, let out a loud yell as he redoubled his strength and pushed back against Vanitas. His Keyblade cut into the χ-Blade itself, causing a wave of energy to roll off it and across the landscape.

"What?!" Vanitas demanded as the χ-Blade's bright color faded, leaving it broken, and a heartbeat later, it knocked them both back with a burst.

"How… how _dare_ you? You're nothing! A pawn!" Vanitas nearly howled as his rage burned in his eyes, but Aqua remained strong and refused to back down. The broken χ-Blade was engulfed in strange light, and it shattered, leaving flickering trails of light and darkness in its wake. Aqua felt a strange, sick feeling in her chest, and she fought to remain strong as darkness erupted from Vanitas. He clenched his fingers as his eyes narrowed.

"Hmph," he huffed. "I'm not done with you. You may have cost me the χ-Blade, but I'll still have your precious light!" His hand thrust out and with it, darkness struck for her. She tried to bite back a cry of fear and agony, but to no avail, and darkness overtook everything.

Ventus skidded across the rock, grunting as he got back to his feet. From the broken χ-Blade came swirling lights that shot forth and scarred the ground. Ventus squinted and held his arms up, trying to block out some of the blinding light and debris in the violent winds. He peered through and found Aqua's unmoving body lying on the ground nearby. The darkness around her pulled away and vanished, leaving her back in her armor.

"Aqua!" he yelled above the noise and tried to step toward her, though the winds and chaotic light around him threatened to throw him into the air again. He started forward, launching himself off one foot and hurrying around the lights blasting across the rocks. He called Aqua's name again and picked up his pace. The χ-Blade began to disintegrate, and he glanced over his shoulder as his heart pounded in his chest. The gusts of winds sent Aqua's body flying into the air, and Ventus leapt up after her. He reached out and grabbed at her hand, though she slipped from his fingers. But then, her own hand reacted and grasped his, and relief briefly sparked in his heart. As they were thrown away from the Keyblade Graveyard, he blacked out, and held onto Aqua's hand for dear life.

The next thing he was aware of, Ventus opened his eyes to find himself drifting in a place vaguely familiar to him. He looked down to find a stained glass pillar below him, one illustrating him on one side, his eyes closed. He smiled slightly as he placed his hand over his chest. But he looked up curiously to find broken shards of glass floating above him, and his eyes widened as he saw Aqua among them. Her body looked limp, and she didn't respond when he called her name. With focus, he found he could move through the abyss with little resistance, and he made his way to her.

"Aqua?" he said softly as he came to her side, and he took her hand in his. Slowly, she turned her head to him, and his heart dropped as he found her eyes were dull, dark, and vacant. Darkness flickered around her.

"Ventus…" she barely said before closing her eyes.

"Aqua!" he shook her slightly. "Come on, wake up! You're okay. You have to be okay." She didn't respond. He frowned as he looked around, and slowly, something deep in his memory came to the surface. His heart had been fractured when Xehanort had ripped the darkness from him, leaving him with only his light, and that light had begun to slip away. A newborn heart had reached out to him somehow and mended him, enabling him to survive and recover.

"Vanitas stole your light," he realized as he squeezed her hand. "So… that means you have only darkness now…" He shook his head. An idea started to form in his head, and he looked over to his own glass pillar. It was a stupid idea, he'd admit, but if it would help Aqua, if it would save her…

He summoned his Keyblade and took aim at his pillar. With a grunt of effort, he launched himself toward it, and the teeth of his Keyblade smashed into the glass, causing cracks to run across it. A heartbeat later, it shattered, and he felt the break within his heart. With the shards of his pillar around him, he looked up and made his way back to Aqua.

"Aqua," he said, his voice all but lifeless, and she opened her eyes again. He felt his heart reach out for her, for the darkness he was missing. She turned to him and slowly righted herself, and her hand lifted to nearly touch his face.

"Ventus… You're hurting," she said, and he nodded.

"Aqua, if you trust me, we can fix this," he told her. "If you'll be my darkness, I'll be your light." He held his hand out to her, and with a small smile, she took it in both of her own.

"Yes," she said softly. "I trust you, Ven." Bright light illuminated around them, and the shards of glass reacted and pieced themselves together below them. They both looked down as the light faded, revealing them both illustrated in the pillar, grasping each other's hands as they held their Keyblades in the others. Relief surged through Ventus's heart and he looked up to find Aqua's eyes had gained back the life he was accustomed to, and she smiled as she placed her free hand to his cheek.

"We're stronger together," she said, and he nodded.

"Yeah." He smiled as well. "You're safe now, Aqua. I'll never let anyone hurt your heart again."


	3. Chapter III

With a bit of a groan, Ventus shifted and opened his eyes, finding a dark, dull green ceiling above him. He put a hand to his throbbing head and sat up slowly, finding Mickey standing at his side and Yen Sid sitting behind his table.

"Gosh, I'm glad you're okay," Mickey said, and Ventus lowered his head as he tried to collect himself. Then the events at the Keyblade Graveyard came rushing back to him.

"Aqua!" He looked around frantically, only to find her still lying next to him. He scrambled onto his hands and knees, bending over a bit closer to her. "Aqua? Can you hear me?" He placed one hand to her arm, and she let out a soft breath before opening her eyes. He smiled with relief as she turned her gaze to him. Her eyes filled with her own relief and affection.

"Ven, thank goodness." She sat up as well. "Are you okay? Where are…?" She looked around and got to her feet, and he did as well.

"I'm glad to have you both here unharmed," Yen Sid said with a slow nod. "Mickey has informed me of what you have endured. We are fortunate that you two have returned."

"What about Terra?" Ventus asked, looking down at Mickey. The King looked down sorrowfully and shook his head.

"No sign of him," he replied. "I'm sorry, Ven, Aqua. I'm guessing the χ-Blade sent him flying off somewhere else."

"Then we have to go find him," Aqua said firmly, and Ventus nodded. "We can't just leave him out there alone. I need to know he's safe." She paused and frowned. "Has there been any sign of Master Xehanort or… or Vanitas?" Ventus reached his hand up to her shoulder, and she shifted a bit closer to him. Yen Sid shook his head.

"I have not been able to locate either of them," he told them. "You must proceed with caution. Master Aqua, Ventus, you now share a unique and powerful connection. But be wary; Should one of you fall, the other will not be far behind. You'll need time to heal from your ordeal." Mickey looked up at the two Keyblade wielders curiously, but didn't press the issue.

"Understood," Aqua nodded.

"Don't worry, Master Yen Sid," Ventus agreed. "We'll keep each other safe." He turned to his companion. "Maybe we should head home. Terra might have found his way back there."

"Maybe," she said. They both turned to the sorcerer again. "Thank you, Master." He dipped his head, and with that, they headed for the door and down the long path of stairs to the bottom of the Mysterious Tower.

Once they were outside, Aqua stopped and lowered her head. She reached out and took Ventus's hand, and he turned toward her curiously.

"Aqua, what is it?" he asked gently. She looked up again and smiled, though he could see sadness in her eyes.

"Thank you for saving me, Ven," she said, and he smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head with his free hand.

"I wasn't about to let you just slip away," he replied. "You're one of my best friends, Aqua."

"No," she shook her head. "It's more than that. Ven, I… When Vanitas had joined with my heart, and again when you did… I think I got a glimpse of the pain you've endured." Ventus's smile faded. "I'm so sorry that I never understood. I don't know everything, but… You've suffered so much." He didn't immediately reply, but shut his eyes.

"I'm stronger for it," he said after a while. "And besides." He looked back up. "If Xehanort hadn't fractured my heart, he never would have taken me to the Master, and I never would have met you and Terra." He paused. "My past is still fuzzy… I don't remember much before Xehanort took me on as his apprentice. But I don't really need it." He smiled again. "You, Terra, and the Master made me who I am today, and I'm proud of that." She smiled as well and squeezed his hand.

"You've grown up so much," she noticed. "I'm sorry we've treated you like a child for so long. It wasn't fair to you."

"I had a lot of growing up to do," he said with a shrug. "And I did it really fast. I thought I was a lot stronger than I really was back before I left home. But over my journey, I learned so much." He chuckled slightly. "I tried to feel like an adult before, but now I just feel… More mature." He snorted, and she giggled briefly.

"Just promise me you won't lose your happiness," she said, and he tilted his head curiously. "You bring a smile to everyone who meets you, Ven. Don't lose that."

"I won't," he nodded and turned around, summoning his Keyblade. "Now, c'mon. We should get home." He pointed his Keyblade forward and a light shot out from its tip, opening a path for them, and they both summoned their armor and gliders before heading through it.

As they sped through the Lanes Between to the Land of Departure, a thought occurred to Ventus. In hopes of finding Master Eraqus or either of his friends, he had visited his home before going to the Keyblade Graveyard. He hadn't been able to make it to the castle, but from the summit where he usually watched the stars, he could see that the castle had been badly damaged as darkness threatened to swallow the world. He hadn't given it much thought, seeing as a figure in a black coat had appeared out of nowhere and ambushed him, but now that he considered it, he realized Aqua might not know what they would find.

"Hey, um…" He beckoned. "Listen. I went home before I left for the Graveyard. And… It's in rough shape." Aqua turned her head slightly, likely peering at him from the edge of her visor. "I'm just warning you." She lowered her head.

"I see," she said with a lifeless voice. The rest of their time traveling between worlds was spent in silence, and a short while later, they arrived at their destination. Once they had landed at the forecourt and dismissed their armor, Aqua let out an anguished cry.

"No…No!" she gasped as her gaze swept over the broken castle, the cracked forecourt, and the darkness descending around them. Ventus's heart clenched with grief at his chest, and neither of them said a word as they both found the Master's Defender lying on the ground, its former wielder nowhere to be seen.

"Why…?" Ventus choked after a bit of time. "Did… It wasn't Terra. It couldn't have been." They stood in silence for a moment.  
"Master Yen Sid told me the Master had been struck down," Aqua told him. "That Xehanort was responsible… But Terra was as well." Ventus's hands clenched into tight fists and his head dropped as he fought back tears.

"Terra, why? Why couldn't you just listen to me?" He raised his head to the sky. "Why?!" he demanded loudly. "How could you do this? Why did this have to happen?!" Aqua wrapped her arm over his shoulders as he trembled, and she pulled him close. It took a while for him to gain back his composure- or what he had left, anyway. Once he had, Aqua released him and slowly walked over to the Master's Defender, and after a bit of hesitation, she bent down and picked it up.

"There's something I have to do," she said as she looked up at him, and he nodded. He followed her up the stairs into the castle's great hall. "The Master told me that if something happened to him and darkness was about to overtake the land," she explained as they approached the three thrones surrounded by broken glass and debris, "That I should take his Keyblade and use it to lock the world away." She circled around to the back of the thrones and lifted the Master's Defender, pointing it at the back of the middle seat. "It would be transformed into a place where all intruders would be lost to oblivion, no one able to solve its mystery," she continued as a Keyhole appeared on the back of the throne. "…No one but me." She closed her eyes and released her breath slowly.

"Then I guess we should do as the Master said," Ventus mumbled as he looked into the Keyhole. "Er, you should." She nodded, and with a grunt of effort, she thrust the Master's Defender toward the Keyhole. A bright light burst forth from it, accompanied by a strong wind, and Ventus raised his arm to shield his eyes. The light swept over the hall, blinding them both.

When it finally died down, they both had to take a moment to bring themselves back to their senses. They found themselves standing in a white room with a single throne in the middle, and from it, chain-like designs spread across the floor and up the walls to the angled heart-shaped symbol they, along with Terra and their Master, wore. Ventus made his way back around to the front of the throne on one side, while Aqua came around the other.

"Well, this is different," he said lightly, and Aqua smiled a bit.

"At least our home should be safe now," she replied, and he nodded. "It'll certainly take some getting used to."

"Yeah," he agreed and frowned. "I guess exploring will have to wait. We still need to find Terra, and it doesn't look like he's here." She looked down in thought for a moment.

"I visited a world and met a little boy named Riku," she said as she dismissed the Master's Defender from her hand. "I believe Terra passed the power of the Keyblade on to him. Maybe he ended up there somehow, drawn to the one he chose as his successor. At the very least, we may find some leads."  
"Okay," Ventus nodded again and started for the large white doors. "I don't have any other ideas." They left the room and traversed the stark white halls of the castle. It was jarring for him- this was his home, but it no longer felt like it. Nothing was familiar, and he felt like a trespasser. Their steps echoed off the blank walls until they reached the front doors.

Outside was almost like another world itself. Darkness surrounded them and all that could be found in front of the castle was a small, jagged patch of rock. It certainly didn't have the same welcoming feeling as it had before. They turned to find the castle itself was now a dark green-brown color with off-sea-green spires pointing both straight up and to the sides.

"I can't say this is what I was expecting," Aqua admitted, and Ventus huffed in agreement. "But if it means our home is safe from the darkness, then we can adapt."

"Yeah," he replied. "So, anyway, where are we going to find this 'Riku?'" Aqua turned and looked out into the endless dark expanse around him.

"He lives in a place called Destiny Islands," she said, and a chill crept down his spine. He ignored it and nodded quickly.

"Okay," he forced a smile. "Let's go pay him a visit."


	4. Chapter IV

In the central square of Radiant Garden, a man stood looking up at the sky. His silver hair rustled in the wind and his golden eyes appeared only half-focused. He stayed that way for quite some time.

Nearby, a burst of darkness rocketed down from the sky, but even this wasn't enough to catch the man's attention. From the darkness emerged a figure: Vanitas. He stretched and rotated his shoulder, and he smirked as he noticed the man.

"So this is where you wound up," he said, and the man lowered his head to look at him. "What, surprised to see me?" The man didn't reply for a while.

"Who am I?" he asked slowly, and Vanitas chuckled as he crossed his arms.

"Good question," he shrugged. "Are you Terra? Are you Xehanort? You'd better figure it out."  
"Terra…" the man said lowly. "Xehanort…" His eye twitched and his body tensed, and he covered his face with his hands, his fingers gripping at his scalp. "G-Get out… Get out! You've lost!" he yelled. Vanitas watched him curiously. It seemed Terra hadn't gone as easily as Xehanort had expected. He may have succeeded in transferring his heart to the young man's body, but Terra was fighting back.

"Hmph," Vanitas huffed as he started circling around the two fighting for control of the body. "Really, Xehanort? He practically gave you an open door with all that darkness in his heart. And you still can't force him out?" He shook his head. "And you, Terra. You played right into his hands. I can't believe how stupid you are." The man lowered his hands to stare at the dark entity, who stopped circling and approached him.

"What… do you want?" he asked slowly, and Vanitas smiled.

"Tell you what, Terra." He summoned his Keyblade. "Just hold still for a second. Now, I want to make this very clear. You and I are not friends. I'm not doing this to help you. You can go rot for all I care. But as much as I hate you, I hate Xehanort even more." The man's teeth clenched. "I don't need him anymore. So I'll do you a favor. I'll place a lock around your heart so Xehanort can't get out. He'll still be there, and you'll have to deal with it, but as long as you don't do anything stupid like dive into the darkness even further, then you should keep control of your body."

"You… you traitor!" the man snapped, but his body became rigid. "Stop fighting! You've lost! You're mine now!"

"That's it, Terra," Vanitas sneered. "Hold still a moment longer." He raised his Keyblade. "Remember, just try to stay away from darkness. Shouldn't be too hard for you now, huh?" With that, he thrust his Keyblade toward the man's chest, and an eerie light shot out from the tip. It pierced into his heart and he grunted, his eyes blazing with fury for a brief moment. But once the light died down, he fell to his knees, and then to the ground, motionless.

"Oops," Vanitas chuckled and nudged him with his foot. "Well, hopefully you'll come to. And if not, oh well." He looked up toward the castle for a moment, then summoned a Dark Corridor and left the world.

Unsure of how much time had gone by or what even exactly had happened, Terra became aware of a voice.

"Young man, what ails you?" He stirred and opened his eyes, and through slightly blurry vision, he found a middle-aged man propping him up in one arm, and his orange eyes were filled with concern. "Can you speak?" he asked. "Tell me your name." Terra's gaze flickered around the other two men standing there. He didn't recognize one of them, a well-built guard with black hair tied back save one lock that hung over his face. The other, however, he was all too familiar with. And at the sight of him, the golden eyes that watched him so intensely, he managed to decide in the fog of his mind that he should try not to draw attention to his identity.

"Xehanort," he managed to say, though his voice was weak. At this, Braig smiled slightly, and this was the last thing Terra saw before slipping back into unconsciousness.

Elsewhere, Ventus and Aqua sped through the Lanes Between, and it wasn't long before they reached Destiny Islands. They arrived on the beach of the Paopu Tree's islet just as the sun began its final descent toward the waves on the horizon. As Ventus looked around, he spotted a young boy walking along a path above the sand, skirting around a huge tree.

"Ah, that's Riku," Aqua said with a smile. They watched, curious, as he climbed up a ladder to some sort of tree house.

"Found you!" Riku said giddily.

"Aw, man!" Another voice replied, and from the tree house, another little boy came out. "I thought I had a good hiding spot that time. Okay, let's go back to the Paopu Tree, then you go hide!"

"Okay," Riku nodded.

"Race you!" the other boy laughed, and they both scrambled down the ladder and onto the beach. The boy slowed to a stop, however, as he caught sight of the world's visitors, and after a moment, he started toward them.

"Sora?" Riku wondered, returning to his friend, and he glanced up to find Ventus and Aqua. He quickly joined Sora, and the two approached the newcomers. Ventus crouched down to their level, and Aqua followed his example.

"Hey, guys," she greeted with a smile. "You know what? I just realized I never introduced myself the last time I was here. I'm Aqua, and this is my friend Ventus."

"Call me Ven," Ventus finished. A smile spread across Sora's face, and he looked up at the blond boy with eyes full of wonder. Ventus shared the sentiment. Something about Sora seemed so familiar to him, and as he felt warmth ignite in his heart, he thought, maybe, he knew the reason why.

"So, Riku," Aqua said, shaking him from his thoughts. "We have a very important thing to ask you, okay?"

"What is it?" Riku asked.

"Did you meet another boy recently? He's dressed kind of like us, he's pretty tall, and he has brown hair and blue eyes."

"Yeah," Riku nodded. Ventus couldn't help the hope that sparked in his heart.

"Have you seen him recently?" Aqua continued, and Riku shook his head.

"Nope, not since before you came last time." The little boy smiled. "He left and went to another world." Ventus blinked.

"Well, I don't know about that," Aqua said somewhat convincingly. "But you haven't seen him since?" Riku shook his head again. "Mm… Okay. Thank you."

"Is he a friend of yours?" Sora wondered, and they both nodded. "Then you'll find him again! Friends always stick together, like me and Riku!" At those words, Ventus realized that even if their lead on Terra had gone cold, that hope in his heart had not.

"Guys, I need to talk to Aqua for a moment," he told them. "But we'll be right back." He got to his feet and Aqua did as well, and she followed him a bit further down the beach.

"What is it?" she asked, and he glanced back to the boys.

"I can tell Riku has it, but Sora doesn't have the power of the Keyblade, does he?"

"No," she replied. "I thought about passing mine on to him, but… I worry about what that might cause between them. One Keyblade is enough for any friendship." Ventus frowned as he continued to watch the boys while they chattered amongst themselves. Well, Sora did. Riku mostly listened and occasionally spoke up.

"Sora has a powerful heart," he noticed. "I think…" He trailed off in thought for a moment. Something in him told him that this cheerful little boy would one day be tied to the fate of the worlds. They would need him. "I think he's going to reach out to a lot of people and help save them," he said. "And I think they both have it in them to become great Keyblade Masters. And…" he paused again and turned back to his friend. "This darkness we're facing, I don't think it's going to go away anytime soon. If Riku gets drawn into that, he'll need someone he can rely on no matter what. Who can protect him, and he can do the same for." He smiled. "I know we've been through a lot of bad stuff, but I wouldn't trade anything for our time back home when we were training together."

"Neither would I," Aqua agreed with a smile. "I think I see where you're going with this, Ven. And if you think it's for the best, then I trust you." His smile grew.

"Thanks, Aqua." He looked back to the boys, and his eyes softened. "I don't want to put that kind of burden on them, but… I think it'll happen whether we're involved or not. We just have to make sure we give them their best chance." Aqua murmured something in agreement, and they returned to the two waiting little boys.

"Hey, Riku?" Ventus asked as he knelt down again. "You want to see all sorts of new places, right?"

"Uh huh," Riku smiled. "I want to go explore places no one's ever been to."

"Would you want Sora to go with you?" Ventus continued, and when Riku nodded, Sora beamed.

"Of course. He's my best friend, and we said we'd do everything together."

"Right!" Sora agreed.

"I'm glad to hear it," Ventus went on. "Hey, Sora." Sora settled down slightly and refocused his attention on him. "I want to give you something, okay? It's something very special, and it'll help you and Riku go explore all those new places." Sora's eyes widened. "But you gotta promise me that no matter what, who you meet, or whatever happens, you'll be there for Riku."

"No matter what!" Sora said, and Riku smiled.

"What about you, Riku?" Aqua asked. "Will you always be there for Sora?"

"Yeah," Riku's smile grew. "Always."

"Good. In that case…" Ventus raised his hand, and in a flash of light, his Keyblade appeared. Both of the boys jumped and stared at it, and Riku's brow rose as he looked up at its wielder.

"You have one too?" It sounded like he could barely speak around his awe. Ventus smiled and nodded, then turned his attention back to Sora as he held the Keyblade's handle out to him.

"'In your hand, take this Key,'" he began. "'So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, it's wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend. No ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love.'" Somehow, Sora's eyes grew even wider, and he reached his hand toward the Keyblade. He hesitated for a moment, but at the sight of the reassurance in Ventus's warm and welcoming eyes, he gently took hold of its handle. He released it a moment later and looked down at his hand, and Ventus dismissed it as the boy turned to his friend.

"Is that what that other guy did with you?" he asked, and Riku's smile became somewhat sheepish.

"Uh huh," he said. Sora huffed and turned back to the two visitors.

"Does this mean we have to keep it a secret?" he wondered, and Ventus laughed.

"Yeah. You wouldn't want the magic to go away!" He ruffled Sora's hair and smiled at Riku. "Now, weren't you guys playing Hide-and-Seek?"

"Oh, yeah!" Sora fidgeted a bit. "Come on, Riku! It's your turn to hide."

"It's not like you'll find me!" Riku challenged, and they both waved at the Keyblade wielders before taking off across the sand again.

"They may be destined for great things," Aqua said as they watched the boys go. "But right now, I'm glad they can just be kids."

"Yeah," Ventus agreed. "They're good kids. They deserve a carefree childhood." He tilted his head curiously as Sora came to a stop and turned around to face them again, and he suddenly took off at a near sprint toward them.

"Sora, what…" Ventus knelt down again. "Oof!" Sora nearly knocked him over when he all but launched himself at the older boy in order to give him a hug. Ventus gladly returned it, holding the boy tight in his arms.

"I'm glad you're okay," Sora said softly, and Ventus placed a hand to the back of his head gently.

"Yeah," he breathed. "I'm okay. Thank you, Sora." A moment later, Sora squirmed away and grinned at him, then hurried down the beach to rejoin Riku.

"What was that about?" Aqua asked as she stared at him, and he smiled warmly.

"He may not really realize it, but Sora's the one who saved me," he replied. "No doubt about it. I know his heart, and he knows mine. That's the same light that reached out to me four years ago." Aqua smiled and took his hand. "I hope one day I can return the favor."

"Only time will tell," she said with a bit of a shrug, then looked over to watch Sora and Riku run across the bridge leading from the shack on the beach to the Paopu Tree. "Thank you, Sora."


	5. Chapter V

"That should be the last of it," Terra reported as he watched a few shreds of paper smolder into ash. Ansem the Wise stood nearby and nodded as his newest apprentice turned to him.

"Very good," the Sage King of Radiant Garden said. "Thank you, Xehanort. You're absolutely sure that's all of the research on those creatures?"

"Yes, sir," Terra dipped his head. "I had to scrounge a few papers from Even, but that should be it."

"Good," Ansem said. "Those abominations must never see the light of day. They are best forgotten." He shut his eyes. "I hope the others will heed my warnings."

"They may be upset about having to lose the research, but they respect you, sir," Terra told him as they started up the stairs leading to Ansem's lab. "They won't disobey you lightly." Ansem smiled warmly.

"I believe you, Xehanort. Now, what about you? You've been with us for nearly a month now. Has anything jogged your memory?"

Terra frowned. He remembered far more than he cared to, and perhaps part of him even wished he had lost his memory. The concern Ventus expressed over the χ-Blade, the grief and disappointment on Aqua's face when they had their brief reunion, and worst of all was the guilt he had over what he had done to Eraqus; these all weighed heavily on his mind. Meanwhile, he worried about just how long the lock Vanitas had placed on his heart would last, and he wondered if he could really trust that the dark entity hadn't done anything else to him. He hadn't noticed anything save an occasional hint of Xehanort's frustration from somewhere within his heart, but he figured he had a right to worry.

"No, sir," Terra shook his head. "All I can recall is my name." Beyond not wanting to provoke Braig, he figured it would be better to leave Ansem and his apprentices out of his problems.

"Hm… Don't let it drag you down too much," Ansem advised. "You are safe here, Xehanort." Once again, he gave the youth a gentle smile. As they came to his lab, he took his seat behind his desk and took out a pen and a few sheets of paper. "You are dismissed. If you find anything else relating to those creatures, bring it to me immediately."

"Understood." Terra bowed briefly, then turned for the door. He hesitated, however, as his hand touched the knob. "…Master Ansem," he said as he turned back around, and Ansem looked up from his work. "If I could have a moment longer…"

"Of course. What is it?" Terra looked down for a moment as he collected his thoughts.

"Just… I want to thank you, sir. I had nothing but a name- no home, no purpose, no direction. You took me in without a second thought and helped me recover, and you even gave me a place here." Again, he dipped his head. "So… Thank you, Master Ansem. I hope that, one day, I can repay you." Ansem smiled and stood up.

"I wasn't about to leave you with nothing," he said. "And you have much potential, Xehanort. Your help with our studies of the heart has been invaluable to me, and I appreciate you helping us see the reality of our situation when the others become a bit too absorbed in our research." Terra smiled slightly as well, then bowed again and left the lab.

Alone in the corridors under the castle, his thoughts returned to everything he had been through in the short time since he had left the Land of Departure. He worried about Aqua and Ventus, hoping they were somewhere out there still fighting the darkness. He wondered what Vanitas would do now that he wasn't tied to Xehanort. He may have failed in obtaining the χ-Blade, but somehow, Terra believed that only made him more dangerous.

He heard hurried footsteps behind him, and before he could turn around, the force of an arm hit his back as it slung over his shoulders and nearly knocked him forward.

"Hey, Mister Master!" He turned his head to find Braig had decided to join him, and the guard grinned at him, and he only stared back. "Oh, come on. You don't even remember your pal?" He huffed and shook his head as Terra tried to shrug him off. "Please tell me the amnesia thing was just a joke." With no response from Terra, he frowned and removed his arm. "Boy, this is some cliché." He shook his head and scratched the back of it, then looked up and looked straight at Terra's face. "Hey… You're not really Terra… are you?" Terra's brow furrowed and he grit his teeth, and his mind raced to think of a cover for this sudden anger.

"Terra," he repeated. "Why does that name make me so angry?" To his relief, Braig laughed and grinned.

"Okay, okay. Just gotta check." He smacked Terra on the back, causing Terra to lurch forward briefly. "Don't worry, old man. I'll watch your back and we can get a move on." He paused. "That reminds me. Things are gonna heat up around here." Terra arched an eyebrow.  
"Why do you say that?" he asked, and Braig leaned in and lowered his voice.

"We gotta know more about those things downstairs," he said with a bit of a smirk. "And if Ansem is gonna get in the way, then we'll just have to remove him." Terra stopped and stared at him.

"Wait. What do you mean?" he asked, biting back a harsh tone.

"I mean he's gotten too big for his britches. He's no 'wise king' if he's going to get in the way of progress. So we'll just have to get rid of him." Terra only continued to stare at him.

"Aren't you one of his guards?" he inquired, arching an eyebrow. Braig chuckled.

"Aren't you looking to further your understanding of darkness and its effects on the worlds?" he replied. Terra grimaced, caught in a corner.

"Very well," he nodded. "Sacrifices must be made."  
"Yup, just like your kiddo and his maniac darkness, eh?" Braig smacked him on the back again. "Anyway, we're gonna throw him out tomorrow night. And meanwhile, Even'll be continuing his research on the Heartless. Maybe you can give him a hand." Terra grumbled something, but nodded.

"Fine. I'd best go prepare, then." He frowned and started off toward the stairs leading to the apprentices' rooms.

"See you around, old coot," Braig called after him, and he fought back a bout of anger as he picked up his pace. Braig's words echoed around his head again and again as he went up the stairs through the castle. Once he reached his room, he shut the door behind him and trudged over to the window. His view overlooked a large, empty valley he had been told was named the Great Maw.

"Funny," he thought to himself. He'd never really stopped to appreciate his view back home in the Land of Departure, but now he realized he missed it terribly. These mountains in the distance weren't the same ones where he went to watch the stars with Aqua and Ventus. Though he'd been given a place to stay, he highly doubted that this place would ever feel like home. Radiant Garden had been called the City of Light, but he felt great darkness preparing to strike. Vanitas's warning to him again rang out in his head.

 _"As long as you don't do anything stupid like dive into the darkness even further, then you should keep control of your body."_

He knew part of those words had been a taunt against him, but even so, the dark entity had told him to stay away from darkness. What was he supposed to do when Ansem's apprentices were diving so deep into the darkness themselves? He feared what Braig would do if he discovered the truth about him.

What truly bothered him was that he found he couldn't summon his Keyblade. He wasn't sure if it had decided he wasn't fit to wield it any longer, now that he had nearly lost himself to darkness, or perhaps Xehanort had somehow blocked him from being able to use it. Either way, without it, he feared he wouldn't be able to fight Braig nearly as effectively, and if the other apprentices turned on him like they would Ansem, he doubted he would be able to defend himself without using the darkness inside him.

"Maybe that'd be better," he muttered to himself as he turned and laid down on his bed, and he shook his head vigorously. He couldn't think like that. He owed it to Aqua and Ventus to walk a path that would lead him to light. More importantly, he owed it to his lost Master to prove to himself that he could move on without darkness. It was his fall to darkness that had led him to fighting Eraqus, and his heart ached as his mind forced him to relive that fateful moment when Eraqus had fallen. His eyes watered as he closed them, but this only made him watch once again as his father vanish into flecks of light just before Terra could catch him.

With these thoughts in his head and darkness threatening to choke his heart, he drifted off into a sleep plagued by nightmares as that same darkness nearly consumed him.


	6. Chapter VI

A frantic knock on his door roused Terra from very disturbed sleep, and his heart jumped as he bolted upright. He glanced out his window to find it was still the middle of the night, though he couldn't see any sign of a moon. He frowned as he ran a hand through his hair, and he jumped again when the frantic knocking began again.

"Come on, old man!" That had to be Braig. "Get out here!" Terra stumbled out of bed and pulled his boots and lab coat on, and he yanked his door open to find Braig standing there with one of his arrowguns slung over his shoulder. He had a dark smirk on his face.

"What in the worlds do you want?!" Terra demanded.

"The Heartless are loose in the castle," Braig replied, and Terra's eyes widened. "This is the perfect opportunity! Time to drive Ansem out of here."

"How did they escape?" Terra asked. "They were sealed in the basement. How could they get out?" Braig shrugged.

"You would know better then me. Now, come on!" He took off at a brisk pace down the hall, and Terra clenched his fists as he watched his adversary disappear around a corner.

"I'd give my left arm if it meant having my Keyblade," he grumbled. The sound of hurried footsteps behind him caught his attention, and he whirled around to find Dilan approaching him quickly.

"Xehanort, have you heard? Those dark creatures escaped their confinement. You'd best find yourself a weapon and get ready to fight." Terra nodded.

"I will. Go hold them off. I'll be right behind you." Dilan nodded as well and sped off in the same direction Braig had left in. Terra went the opposite way, his destination the castle's armory. Once he arrived, he typed in a code that unlocked the door and ducked inside. He scanned over the weapons inside- various swords, spears, firearms, bows, and almost every other type imaginable.

"No Keyblades, of course," Terra muttered. He selected a broadsword similar in weight and length to his Earthshaker. He gave it a couple of practice swings, decided it was good enough, and rushed out of the armory and to the main halls of the castle en route to the basement. By the time he reached the lab, he found Dilan and Aeleus fighting off the Heartless that were quickly surrounding them. Frantically trying to look through their research notes in the corner were Even and Ienzo, and further back, Braig was shooting at the creatures scrambling up from the manufactory below.

"Xehanort!" Even breathed in relief. "Please, keep them off us!"

"Did anyone tell Master Ansem?!" Terra demanded as he swatted a Heartless with his broadsword.

"Braig said he was- urgh- going to!" Aeleus called as he countered another Heartless. Terra shot a look toward Braig, who caught his eye and gave him a quick, almost undetectable smirk. He grunted and stumbled back, allowing a swarm of Heartless to pass him. Terra stared, shocked. No one else likely noticed, but he was certain Braig had intentionally flopped back.

"Xehanort!" Even nearly screeched, and Ienzo's young eyes grew wide with terror. The Heartless lunged for them, and before Terra could reach them, they were overwhelmed and fell to the ground. Slowly, their bodies dissipated into darkness and their hearts appeared, only to be overtaken as they formed into new Heartless.

The sight of it nearly made Terra sick. He never thought he would see someone lose their heart to darkness, not like this. His anger at

Braig flared in his heart, and the Heartless turned their empty yellow eyes on him. He found Braig quickly approaching him as he fought back against the swarm of Heartless, and once the man was at his side, his body froze. He grunted, but his muscles refused to respond to his will.

"Well, old coot, now what?" Braig asked as he shot a Shadow coming a bit too close. Terra's gaze turned on him, and his hand dropped his broadsword and twitched.

"Remember..." his voice said, though it wasn't his doing. "Thirteen... of Darkness." With that, to his shock, Xehanort's Keyblade materialized into his hand and stabbed Braig in the chest. Braig's good eye widened, and he slumped down as his heart left his body. Terra watched, horrified, as the Heartless continued to spread, and he heard Aeleus and Dilan's distressed calls from the other room.

"What... What's going on?" Terra demanded as he tried to fight the force holding his body.

"You were only one potential route I could take," a voice, Xehanort's voice, echoed in his head. "You are no longer... profitable. It is time for you to embrace that you are nothing more than an empty husk of darkness." Terra could only stand and watch in horror as the Heartless bore down on him, suffocating him in darkness as they clawed at his body, dragging him down. His heart, despite his best fight, was stolen from him, leaving him in nothingness as everything faded away. The Heartless were gone, Ansem's apprentices were gone... Even Xehanort was gone. There was absolutely nothing. His fading thoughts turned to Aqua and Ventus, one final hope that they were unharmed and out there somewhere fighting the darkness. But even that faded.

Then, after some time he had no way of measuring, something came to him. He slowly became aware of simple sensations- of a slight breeze on his face, of grass underneath him, the sound of soft groans in his ears. He opened his eyes and found tree branches thick with leaves partially masking a sky colored orange by sunset. He blinked, trying to regain his consciousness and figure out what in the worlds had happened. He sat up and flexed his fingers while trying to ignore a pounding headache, and he looked around to find Ansem's five apprentices coming to as well. They looked just as confounded as he was. He caught sight of Braig getting to his feet, and Braig gave him a quizzical look with one brow raised. He quickly looked away and scanned over the others as they stood up shakily.

He knew he should be angry about the situation, at Braig for not only betraying Ansem, but all of the other apprentices as well, at Even and his insistence on continuing their studies of the Heartless, at Xehanort for managing to wrest control of his body from him, and at himself for not heeding Vanitas's warning until it was too late. By that logic, rage should have consumed him. But instead, there was nothing. No anger, no grief, not even relief that he apparently was finally rid of Xehanort. All he could feel was emptiness inside his chest, a hollowness that plagued him. Finally, he realized it.

He had lost his heart.

Not only his own, but Xehanort's as well, and even the lingering remnant of his Master that he had sensed within himself, helping him fight Xehanort's influence. Everything was gone.

"Is everyone okay?" Dilan asked, gaining the attention of the others. "Where are we?"

"Excellent question," Even remarked. "This certainly isn't Radiant Garden." Terra looked around more carefully this time. They had shown up in front of an old metal gate that led to the courtyard of a large mansion. Judging from the overgrowth, no one had lived there in quite some time. On the other side were thick woods, though he thought he heard a train whistle in the distance.

"What is this feeling?" Aeleus wondered. "Strange... I feel... empty inside." One by one, the others gave their agreement. "What does this mean?"

"We've lost our hearts," Terra said bluntly. "The Heartless stole them from us." He ignored the sharp look from Braig. Silence reigned for a few moments.

"I suppose that makes sense," Even nodded. "Fascinating. Every individual is made up of three parts: Heart, body, and soul. So it's possible for the body and soul to persist without the heart." He chuckled. "Ordinarily, I would be thrilled at this discovery."

"There's no way that's natural," Braig grumbled. "So what are we now? A bunch of freaks that probably shouldn't exist?"

"We're nothing," Terra said shortly.

"A group of people who are less than people... who fade into the background, who shouldn't be..." Even shook his head.

"We're nobodies," Ienzo piped up. Terra was fairly certain it was the first time he had heard the boy speak. The group pondered this for a moment.

"The boy has a point," Dilan said with a thoughtful nod. "Nobodies."

"An individual who has lost their heart, leaving behind their body and soul... A Nobody." Even nodded as well. "Fitting."

"Huh," Braig huffed. "So we've got no hearts. Guess that means we aren't really us anymore. The heart's what really makes you who you are, right?" Murmurs of agreement sounded from the others. "So... We should get new names. Something to tie us together as a bunch of outcast Nobodies."

"Perhaps," Even said. "Something to reflect who we once were verse what we are now. ...An anagram, perhaps, with something added?"

"How 'bout an 'x?'" Braig suggested with a bit of a smirk, and Terra knew this little remark should have worried him. But how was he supposed to worry without a heart to care? "An 'x' to represent what we've lost," Braig went on. Terra wanted to object, but figured it was better not to draw attention to himself at the moment. Besides, how could a slight name change impact anything all that much?

"Hm..." Even bent down and pulled out a pen, and he used the end opposite the point to scratch something out in the dirt.

"Xeven... Exevn... Nevex..." he muttered to himself. "...Vexen." He straightened back up. "Yes... Vexen will do nicely." The apprentices stared, wide-eyed, as the name "Even" appeared from nowhere, formed by floating, glowing letters. They rearranged themselves quickly until an X appeared in their midst, confirming the new name: Vexen. Even- rather, Vexen- nodded in approval. One by one, the others focused and were granted their new names: Xigbar, Xaldin, Lexaeus, and Zexion. Only Terra's Nobody name remained.

"Well, Xehanort?" Vexen prompted. "Will another X find its way into your name? Or will it simply rearrange itself?" He hesitated, willing his unwanted adopted name to appear, but it failed to do so. The other Nobodies stared, one with anger in his good eye, as a strange name made itself known: Terra. He watched as the letters of his name swirled around somewhat violently, finding a place for the unwelcome letter. Finally, it reformed, and he stared at his new name with a solemn gaze as he murmured it softly.

"Traxer."


	7. Chapter VII

After explaining that he had lost his memory and only knowing that "Xehanort" was a name that meant something to him, the Nobodies had taken the revelation of Traxer's real name surprisingly well. Vexen suggested that Xehanort, whoever that was, may have even been responsible for his amnesiac state, but since he couldn't remember, he had just assumed it was his name.

Now, Traxer stood in a dusty library located inside the old mansion, thumbing through the books while the other Nobodies investigated the rest of the building. It apparently had been abandoned for quite some time, but Xaldin and Zexion had discovered a populated town on the other side of the woods. This town was apparently known as Twilight Town and was a thriving community with plenty of shops, homes, and a train system.

Traxer hadn't been to the world before, and something seemed strange about it compared to other places he'd visited. The book he currently looked through may have yielded an answer: according to legend, legend he knew to be true, there were two realms: The Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness. However, this world was said to lie in between the two realms, much as he recalled Eraqus teaching him that the Land of Departure was. He flipped through the book, scanning over its pages in search of any other noteworthy lore that could be useful to him. He didn't bother looking up as the library's door swung open with a bang, followed by stomping feet.

"Terra!" Xigbar snapped, his voice sharp.

"Traxer," he corrected without diverting his attention from his book. He heard the sound of Xigbar's arrowgun being summoned, and he turned his head slightly to meet his company's fuming gaze.

"I'd say you're angry, but that requires a heart," Traxer continued flatly. "And we both know you don't." Xigbar scowled at him with the arrowgun aimed at his head, finger on the trigger.

"You really think I'll just sweep all this under the rug? You're not Xehanort. And I'll make you pay!" Traxer sighed and shut his book, then put it back on the shelf.

"Go ahead," he said as he turned toward Xigbar. "You'd be doing me a favor. But you can't, and you know it. You off me, you'll never hear the end of it from the others. They won't trust you. You can't hurt me, but I can't hurt you either." He smirked. "Might as well admit we're at a stalemate." Xigbar's bloodthirsty glare didn't soften, but he lowered his weapon.

"Guess so, kiddo," he scoffed, dismissing it. "You've gotta play nice. You've got nowhere to go, no friends, no master, no Keyblade..." He laughed at Traxer's glare. "What, you thought that was some big secret? As if. You would have used it as soon as the Heartless showed up. And you still couldn't hold the old coot back." Before Traxer could make any kind of rebuttal, the sound of approaching footsteps silenced them both. Vexen entered the library and his brow rose at the sight of Xigbar.

"I told you to investigate the second floor," he said a bit shortly. "What are you doing here?"

"Hadn't found anything interesting, so I thought I'd come see what our buddy is up to," Xigbar replied. Vexen didn't appear amused.

"Get back to it. I want every inch of this place combed through." Xigbar sighed and shot a look at Traxer, then left with a brisk stride. Vexen shook his head and returned his attention to the other Nobody. "Have you found anything of note?"

"One of the books has some interesting lore," he replied. "Something about this world being located in between the Realms of Light and Darkness." Vexen frowned thoughtfully.

"Interesting... Why did we come here of all places? Could it be that, as incomplete beings, we were rejected by the Realm of Light, but could not be sent to the Realm of Darkness? The worlds have no place for us, so they sent us here instead of us completely fading from existence." He scratched his chin. "Fascinating. Truly fascinating. But that brings up the dilemma of where we should set our base of operations. We can't stay here- the mansion may be abandoned, but we don't want to draw the attention of the townsfolk." He paused in thought. "If we could return to Radiant Garden... but how? Travel between worlds is impossible." Traxer frowned, fighting with himself on whether he should divulge the information he knew. Ultimately, he didn't want to cause any trouble for Twilight Town, and at least they were known in Radiant Garden.

"I... think I know a way," he said hesitantly, capturing Vexen's interest.

"Oh? What do you have in mind?"

"Corridors of Darkness," he said. "I... I think I have the power to summon paths between worlds. But they basically take us through the Realm of Darkness, and even if we don't have hearts, it could still be dangerous to our bodies. We'd need some sort of protection."

"I see," Vexen nodded. "Then I'll take over the library. You see if you can find something to help us."

"All right. In that case, excuse me." With that, Traxer left the library and made his way to the small clearing in front of the mansion, and he sighed.

"What else am I supposed to do?" He asked of no one in particular. He had nowhere else to go, and the final remark Xehanort left in his voice... "Thirteen of Darkness. What's that supposed to mean?" It was an order toward Xigbar, but why? He feared what might happen if he left the Nobodies alone without someone to keep an eye on Xigbar. So, for the time being, he figured his best course of action was to continue earning the trust of his new companions in hope that he would be able to make things right. With that, he called upon the power he knew dwelled within him- Xehanort had made sure of it- and summoned a Dark Corridor.

"Just for now," he mumbled, and he passed through it.

He emerged into dusty, weak sunlight and howling winds passing through the valleys of the Keyblade Graveyard. He coughed and shook his head as he got his bearings, scanning around the plateau he stood on. He'd met Xehanort here several times, so perhaps he would find what he was looking for here. He made his way around the mountain clawing at the sky and came to a cavern of sorts, and he peeked in to find a collection of things he assumed Xehanort had left behind. There appeared to be a chess set, a few strange vials and flasks, an old book, and...

"What in the world?" He squinted in the dim light at the sight of a large black box with silver accents and a red design on the top. "What's this supposed to be?" He tried to force the top open, but it didn't budge, and he noticed a lock that refused to grant him access. He grumbled something about wishing he had his Keyblade and scanned over the rest of the cavern's contents. A glint of silver caught his eye and, upon closer inspection, he realized it was exactly what he had come looking for. He picked it up and unfolded a long black coat with silver chains.

"There you are." He carried it out of the cavern and shrugged it on, zipping it up to his collarbone and down to his knees. "Now we just have to figure out what this thing is made of..." He glanced out toward the vast clearing where he had lost his friends. Maybe he'd find some clue as to what had happened to them.

With some effort, he climbed down the plateau and trekked in silence save the wind, passing through the trench that had given him the fight of his life the last time he was here. Thankfully, there were no twisters full of Unversed this time, leaving only eerie quiet. He passed the center spire of stone and made his way toward the end of the trench, coming to the small passage leading to the vast graveyard of Keyblades.

"You're something else." He spun around, startled by a voice, and he found Vanitas leaning back against the stone walls, his arms crossed and a foul smirk on his face. Traxer dropped into a defensive stance, but the dark entity didn't make any kind of move. "I mean, I gotta admit it. I didn't think the old man's plan for you would actually work. There was no way you could be that stupid." Traxer stiffened, and Vanitas just laughed at him. "Oh, am I making you angry? We both know you aren't, not really. That requires a heart, which you no longer have." He shook his head. "I- of all people, ME- I gave you a second chance. I warned you. And you STILL messed up again." He shoved off the stone and approached Traxer, but he didn't summon his Keyblade. His posture was rather loose.

"What do you want?" Traxer demanded.

"With you? Nothing. You're worthless. You're more of a nuisance to your friends than you are to me now." Traxer's eyes widened and he grit his teeth.

"If you so much as touch them, I'll end you," he growled. Vanitas laughed at him and shrugged.

"Don't worry, I have my plans for them." He tapped his chest with one finger. "As long as I can keep tabs on them, I don't care what they do, not right now. They need time, and I can be patient. I waited four years, and... in a way, even longer." He snorted and started walking a circle around his adversary.

"What do you mean?" Traxer snapped at him.

"Hmph," Vanitas chuckled. "There's a lot about your friend Ventus that you don't know." He stopped as Traxer turned to him. He snapped his fingers and a strange orb of light appeared in his hand. "You think I let Ventus get all his memories back? No way. Where's the fun in that?" He glanced from the orb to Traxer. "But... in a way, I almost feel sorry for you. You've got nothing. You ARE nothing. So... I can be nice. I'll show you a part of your friend's memory. Then you can see that he's turned his back on his friends before and left them to die. So what's stopping him from doing it again?"

"Ven would never do that!" Traxer argued. "There's no way. You're lying."

"Don't believe me?" Vanitas held the orb out toward him. "Just touch this and you'll see. What have you got to lose?" Traxer glared at him, but he had a point. What did he have to lose?

He cautiously approached the manic boy, coming only close enough to reach toward the orb. He hesitated. Was this really a piece of Ventus's memory? Was it fair of him to look into his friend's past? But perhaps it would tell him something that he could use to help Ventus, and he refused to believe that kind boy would ever betray his companions. He chewed the inside of his lip and stretched his fingers out, and they brushed against the orb. Immediately, light overtook his vision and thrust him into another place and time.

He found himself huddled in the crevices of a plateau, and he was fairly certain he was in the Keyblade Graveyard. It was ominously dark above, and he could hear the shouts and cries of a huge battle nearby. When he looked down, he realized he wasn't in his own body. He was looking through Ventus's eyes, experiencing whatever this was through his friend's senses.

Ventus crept forward and peered over the edge of the plateau, gazing down with a heavy heart at hundreds, if not thousands of Keyblade wielders locked in deadly combat with each other. Ventus knew many of them, from what Traxer could gather. Dropped Keyblades and fallen wielders littered the landscape, with more joining them every moment.

"I can't just sit here..." Ventus mumbled to himself. He sounded even younger than Traxer recalled. "How am I supposed to just let this happen? Those are my friends down there!" A sound like a poof caught his attention, and he turned to find a cat-like creature had joined him. Ventus's memory told Traxer that this creature was called "Chirithy."

"Remember what Master Ava said," Chirithy told him. "You have to wait. You can't fight here." Ventus was near tears, his heart hurt so much as it was torn. But he nodded and shrunk back into his crevice, shutting his eyes and covering his ears in an attempt to block out the horrors of the war.

Traxer snapped back to reality so fast and suddenly, it made his head hurt. He spun around and scanned his surroundings frantically, but he was alone. Vanitas had disappeared without a trace, and silence reigned around him. He panted slightly as he got a grip on his bearings, back in his own body with his own senses. Being in a Ventus's head had been jarring enough, let alone everything he'd experienced in such a brief moment. Dazed, he stumbled through the trench until he saw the first few lifeless Keys on the edge of his vision, and it finally clicked in his head.

"Was that... the Keyblade War?" he mumbled. But that was impossible. Ventus couldn't have been alive back then- it was hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago. But what else could explain so many Keyblade wielders being there at once? Traxer covered his face with his hands and sighed heavily. Could Vanitas have just made it up? But it was so clear, and the little details... Ventus's age, the little cat-thing Chirithy, and whoever Master Ava was... Was Vanitas capable of that? And if it had been real, then that meant Ventus had been through way more than he could ever imagine. Yes, he had apparently been unable to fight with whoever his companions were at the time, but it didn't seem to be by his own choice. It only piqued his curiosity as to who Master Ava was.

He shook his head and looked out to the legions of Keys, and he decided to push what he had found out to the back of his mind. Whatever that was, he couldn't do anything about it now, and if he was to do anything for his friend, he had to clean up his own mess first. With that thought, he summoned a Dark Corridor and returned to Twilight Town.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** New content revealed, new story points here. I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VEN'S PAST.


End file.
